As adults, taking care of our health is one of the many responsibilities we have. To keep living the best life possible, we should visit the doctor and take advantage of offered healthcare services whenever necessary. One time of year when this is especially necessary is flu season, the time during fall and winter when the flu virus tends to sweep the nation. Quite understandably, no one wants to get infected with the flu, as even a mild case can make the victim absolutely miserable. Thankfully, there are several tips you can follow to help you avoid the dreaded flu this year and any year, and that’s what this article will be looking at.
- Get the Annual Flu Shot: The first tip for avoiding the flu is to get the annual flu shot once it becomes available. Any healthcare professional will tell you that this is one of the best things you can do to avoid the flu, since getting inoculated with the vaccine will greatly reduce your chances of contracting the flu virus. The flu shot can be taken in several places, including the local urgent care clinic or your primary care doctor’s office.
- Visit Urgent Care as Soon as Symptoms Show: Another tip for avoiding the flu, or in this case the worst of the flu, is to visit your local urgent care as soon as flu-like symptoms begin to show. Sometimes you can do everything right and still end up exposed to the flu virus and begin developing symptoms. With the flu, symptoms can show less than a week after being exposed to the virus. When symptoms begin to show, head to urgent care right away and see a healthcare professional to determine if you’re actually developing the flu or something that acts like it. 75% of urgent care patients reported their care as excellent or good, meaning if you go to urgent care you’ll receive a very high quality of care.
- Wash Your Hands Frequently: A third tip for avoiding the flu is to wash your hands frequently for the duration of flu season. Healthcare professionals already recommend washing your hands several times a day, so all you’d need to do is wash them with soap and water a few more times each day than you already do. Frequent hand washing with antibacterial soap will kill most of the germs you’ve come into contact with and lessen the chances of contracting the flu virus.
- Get Lots of Rest During Flu Season: And finally, a fourth tip for avoiding the flu this year is to make sure you get lots of rest during flu season. Ideally we should get plenty of rest all year round, but it’s especially important during flu season when the virus is running rampant. Staying rested and getting plenty of sleep can greatly contribute to keeping your immune system strong against any viruses trying to get into the body.
In conclusion, there are several tips you can follow to avoid getting the flu. These tips include getting the annual flu shot, visiting urgent care as soon as symptoms show, washing your hands frequently, and getting lots of rest during flu season. These are just a few of the things you can do to avoid catching the flu during flu season.
